An Awkward Introduction
by Kethrielle
Summary: Scott Ryder meets his sister's soulmate. She's thrilled, and sure that he'll love Jaal. Scott isn't so sure; he tries to protect his sister and Jaal learns something he isn't happy about. A companion to Love Across Time and Space.


Scott Ryder stood on the walkway overlooking the docks. His hands clenched on the railing, and his chin thrust up as if meeting a challenge. His sister was coming to visit, and he refused to be distracted by things that didn't truly matter. He had always watched out for Sara, and he always would. If that meant dealing with emotions that would only get in the way of his main purpose, then he would deal with them.

 _The Tempest_. It was sleek and shiny, a lovely combination of form and function. The thought brought nothing more than admiration.

 _The Pathfinder's ship._ That brought a wave of mixed feelings. Grief, as he was reminded of his father; frustration that though he was a member of the pathfinder team, he was stuck on medical leave while they went out and got on with business.

 _Sara's ship._ That thought brought it's own wave of emotion, primarily jealousy. Not so much that their father had sacrificed his life for hers; only slightly because Sara had been their father's choice of successor. No, Scott's jealousy was more personal: Sara had found her place in this new galaxy. She had friends, a crew, a purpose, and an ever growing reputation for getting things done.

Scott, in comparison, felt adrift and lost. The only part of Andromeda he was familiar with - the only part of Nexus, even - was the Med Bay on the Hyperion. He had no role here; the Pathfinder team had changed and evolved so drastically since the arrived at Habitat 7, that Scott wasn't sure there was even a place there for him.

Sara, of course, assured him that she couldn't wait for him to join them. That was just Sara being Sara, however, trying to make him feel better. He knew enough from her emails and from SAM to know that she had a full team and full crew. Any role she gave him on that team or crew would be taken from someone who not only was already doing an excellent job, but someone who didn't deserve to be displaced just so that Sara's brother could feel useful.

 _SAM._ There was another change. Sara had told him about her surprisingly deep connection with SAM ever since she became Pathfinder. Scott didn't even have that; though to be fair, he wasn't sure he wanted it. He would have liked the option of refusing though.

Scott snorted in frustration and pushed away from the railing, turning his back on the Tempest. He was acting like a child, and he knew it. Thanks to Harry's interference - or insight, depending on how you looked at it - he even knew _why_ he was acting like a child.

Sara didn't need him anymore.

Their entire lives, he had been the one who had possessed a take charge attitude and confidence to spare. He had always led, despite being those few minutes younger. He had watched out for Sara, protected her, included her. Now, his twin sister didn't need him. She didn't need him to protect her, or make sure she had a place. She had won that for herself; had found the confidence that she had used to depend on him to provide.

Harry thought this was because she hadn't had a choice: she needed to step up when she became Pathfinder - their father was dead and Scott was unavailable, so she hadn't had anyone to hide behind. Scott was pretty sure that he knew the real reason though.

It had come, in true Sara-style, at the end of a long chatty email filled with stories of her team, of where she was, and what she was doing. Scowling, Scott pulled the message up on his omnitool and scrolled down to the relevant part.

 _Scotty, you won't believe what happened! I found my soulmate! I know, I know, he died when I was 18. But it turns out that the angara reincarnate - while we were all in stasis, he was reincarnated several times, but most recently into my teammate, Jaal Ama Darav. Imagine my surprise! We've had some trouble getting it sorted out, but we're all fine now. I can't wait for you to meet him! We'll be back soon._

The message went on a short bit from there, but Scott shut his omnitool off before going any further. He couldn't argue with his sister's happiness, or her newfound confidence.

Scott had never put much effort into thinking about his own soulmate. Partly because he was too practical to waste thoughts and energy on something that was so unlikely to be found. Also, partly because he saw the trauma it caused Sara; their parents had explained to him about her empathic bond to her soulmate before they told her, thinking that this understanding would help Scott be patient with his sister. He hadn't needed any reason to watch out for her and help her as much as he could, but the knowledge had made her odd moods less disturbing.

He was determined that this Jaal Ama Darav person would completely understand that if he did anything to hurt Sara Scott would be his worst, most persistent, nightmare.

* * *

He was watching the Tempest when his omnitool pinged with a message.

 _I have to report to Tann and Addison before I do anything else, but I'll send Jaal over to meet you. He's looking forward to meeting my you - angara consider family to be of utmost importance, I've already met a confusion of aunt's, uncles, mothers, siblings, etc - but you're all I've got for him! See you soon! ~ S.R._

Scott sent a quick confirmation back, and kept his eyes on the Tempest's ramp. Sure enough, a few moments later he saw Sara walk down the ramp, her arm linked through that of a tall alien. Despite the distance and the bustle of people all around, he knew it was her right away; his twin's slim build held a barely contained energy that drew the eye. He watched her pointing towards the walkway where he stood, then gesturing a bit more before she walked off toward the tram stop. The tall alien watched her leave, then set off on a course that would bring him up to where Scott stood.

Sure enough, several moments later a richly accented voice came from behind him.

"Scott Ryder?"

Scott turned, and nodded, his eyes flicking over the man his sister believed to be her soulmate in assessment.

"Jaal Ama Darav, I take it?"

Jaal smiled broadly, looking pleased out of all proportion to what Scott had said. He extended his right hand, slightly awkward, to Scott to shake. Scott shook it, measuring the strength of the grip automatically, despite knowing it probably meant nothing to the alien.

"I am pleased to meet you, Scott Ryder. Sara has told me much of your childhood together."

Scott nodded, letting silence grow between them. When he spoke, he kept his tone even, counting on being hard to read.

"She hasn't told me much about you. Just got an email saying you are her soulmate, and something about reincarnation. It was a surprise, you can be sure."

Jaal laughed expansively, not seeming to pick up on Scott's doubts and suspicions beneath the bland tone.

"Indeed. It is not a story that is easily told in a message, I would imagine that quite a bit got left out. But that is the main part. We have been to my family home on Havarl; the moshae has verified our connection. We share each other's emotions, now; Sara is my heart and my soul, found beyond all belief."

"Yeah… that's the thing." Scott drawled, his casual tone at odds with his words. "See, I was there when her soulmate died. I was there when our father walked in on her while she considered killing herself. So, you'll understand if I have my doubts."

Jaal blinked, perhaps trying to reconcile his expectations for this conversation with the way it was actually going. Finally, the meaning of the words caught up with him; Scott saw the moment that what he had said penetrated Jaal's expectations of how this conversation should be going.

"Your father found her when? She was considering what?"

Scott took a slightly vicious pleasure in laying it out for him, deliberately succinct.

"She was sitting in the middle of her bed, and she had a large kitchen knife in front of her. My father said she had her wrists bare and was just staring back and forth from them to the knife. She had suffered for years, you know, from feeling her soulmate's emotions and then to suddenly feel him die… she never did tell us if she would have gone through with it if my father hadn't interrupted, but I know my parents believed she would have."

Jaal looked deeply shaken, staring silently at Scott.

"So you see," Scott continued; his voice was still casual, but his stare was intense and he never broke eye contact. "I don't know if she is your soulmate because of this reincarnation nonsense or if you're misleading her for some other purpose, or even if you genuinely believe it too. But if anything - _anything_ \- happens to my sister that hurts her like that again, I promise you that whatever currently tops your list of Painful Shit That's Happened In My Life won't even make it to the top ten when I'm done with you."

Leaning back against the railing, Scott folded his arms and waited for whatever response Jaal could come up with.

* * *

This conversation was certainly not what Jaal had expected when Sara sent him on ahead of her to meet her brother.

Considering his own family's response to meeting Sara - and, indeed, the other soulmates who had been found over the years - he had assumed that Scott would be pleased for his sister, and excited to meet Jaal. Jaal had certainly expected that Sara's brother would be as pleased with the addition of Jaal to their small family as Jaal had been to offer his family to Sara as her own.

That didn't seem to be the case, however.

The conversation had started on rather shaky ground, and every time he thought he had found the cause, Scott took a little more stability out from under him.

He had thought the man was just annoyed that he had found out about Jaal in a message; important information that should have been shared in person. That may be part of it, of course, and Jaal tried his best to reassure his new brother of his deep and abiding feelings for Sara, suspecting that the nuance had been lost in a message.

And then Scott added the big shock. Sara had considered killing herself? Vaguely, he remembered the moshae saying something similar, back when she had been urging him to perform the Ritual a second time.

He had been too wrapped up in his own stubbornness to give it much attention at the time, and then the news of his siblings joining the Roekaar had driven all other thoughts out of his mind. Of course, by the time that mission had been completed, his thinking had changed so thoroughly that he hadn't bothered to remember the things the moshae had said.

Now though, Scott's words brought the memory back, thus giving him confirmation of the truth of those words. Why hadn't Sara told him? Why would she do such a thing?

Unexpectedly, anger rose in Jaal. How dare this human assume that Sara had been alone in her suffering? And how dare he threaten Jaal? They were soulmates, and he would always do his best to protect and care for Sara - as she would for him - but it was certainly not going to be because he had been threatened by her brother.

He was still standing there, probably looking like someone had detonated a concussion grenade at his feet, when familiar footsteps sounded behind him.

He knew Sara's steps anywhere, quick and light, as if she could barely stand to be restrained by the laws of physics. She passed him with a light welcoming touch on the arm before throwing herself at her brother. Somehow, Scott managed to straighten and uncross his arms in time to catch his sister and return her hug.

"Scott! What have you been up to? You look great! When is Harry clearing you for duty? It's so good to see you!"

Her words came out in a tumult, bringing a smile to Scott's face for the first time since since Jaal had met him. It looked good on him, and for the first time, Jaal saw his similarity to Sara. Only then did it occur to him how closed and expressionless Scott had been keeping his face so far. The realization offered a new perspective on Scott's angry words and threats. He was worried about his sister, and protective. That was something Jaal could understand well enough; despite the insult, he couldn't hold it against the man.

Scott interrupted the chattering stream of Sara's questions with a laugh.

"Sara! Loitering mostly. Thanks. Dunno. Ditto."

Sara laughed, delighted with his teasing, and spun back around to face Jaal.

"Jaal! Do you like Scott? I can't offer you as much family as you've offered me, but I promise he is the best twin brother I've ever had!"

Scott rolled his eyes, and mussed Sara's hair, effectively distracting her from whatever answer Jaal might give.

"Be nice. I'm the only twin brother you've ever had. I have to get to an appointment with Harry, but will you come see me after? I'll buy you dinner, sis."

Sara grinned and nodded. "We're here for a couple days, while Tann goes through my reports and decides what he wants to complain about in detail. Want to come have dinner on the Tempest?"

"Maybe next time, I'd like to talk to you without a crowd tonight." The stern look he directed at Jaal over her head seemed to imply that he was not invited. Jaal assumed the blandest look he could manage, avoided eye contact, and pretended to be staring out at the Tempest.

Sara smiled, nodding eagerly. "Sounds good. Go on, Harry will kill me if I make you late. See you tonight!"

Scott hesitated, seeming torn between keeping Sara happy, and explicitly stating Jaal's lack of invitation. Jaal continued to be oblivious. Sara, seeming to miss the by-play, just shoved him towards the tram. Shaking his head slightly, Scott left.

As soon as he was out of sight, Jaal stepped close to Sara, and enveloped her in a strangling tight hug. She made a slight _oof_ in surprise, but hugged him back readily enough. When he finally released her, hands settling on her hips, she smiled up at him.

"What was that for? Did you get along with Scott?"

He didn't answer, just met her eyes steadily. Her smile faded in the face of his serious expression.

"Jaal? What is it?"

"Your brother has threatened to make my life miserable if you are hurt."

Sara tried to laugh this off, waving a hand between them as if brushing his words away. "I'm sure he didn't mean it literally."

"I would believe that, if it weren't for the reason he believed he needed to make that threat. Scott tells me that you felt your soulmate die." He stopped, the next words sticking in his throat.

Sara looked confused. "Yes, I did. I told you that. More than once, I think."

"Yes. You did not tell me that you were going to take your own life, however."

Her eyes widened in sudden understanding. "Ah. No, you're right, I didn't tell you that. I suppose Scott did. And not very nicely."

Jaal shrugged. "He is concerned for you, as is only right. That is not a problem. Only time, and seeing us together, will allay his concern."

Sara grinned. "Is that why you very carefully didn't notice that he was trying to exclude you from dinner tonight?"

Jaal nodded again, but did not smile in return.

"Yes. That is not my concern at present."

"What then?"

"That you never do - or think - of such a thing again."

That slight wave of her hand between them, as she tried to brush this away as well. "I know what's happening now, and I've found you. I'm sure we'll be fine."

Jaal shook his head, refusing to let her avoid the conversation.

"Promise me. No matter what happens to me, promise you will not follow until it is your time."

Sara looked away and tried to step back, but Jaals hands on her hips didn't allow retreat. His steady gaze refused her any refuge in humor, and finally she nodded.

"I promise. I don't think it's necessary, I'm not a confused eighteen year old anymore. But I promise. If you will, too?"

Now, as she felt his relief washing over their connection, she realized how carefully he had been keeping his emotions from her. The thought shook her more than his serious gaze ever could have, and she responded with an upswell of love that made him smile.

Jaal nodded. "I promise."

Sara's eyes narrowed thoughtfully. "He's probably pretty antsy right now, wondering if you'll tell me how he acted, and wondering if you got the hint about dinner." She grinned, a look he recognized from his own siblings - mischievous. "Let's mess with him at dinner tonight. You with me?"

Jaal nodded. "Indeed, it may help to show him how easy we are with each other, and that I am not going anywhere." Sara leaned up to kiss him, a reward for his agreement. Jaal added suggestively, "Now, perhaps we can find something entertaining to do before we annoy your brother with my presence."

Sara grinned, and wiggled out of his grasp. Grabbing his hand, she tugged him back toward the docks. Toward the Tempest.

"I'm sure we can think of something."


End file.
